Method For Playing A Card Game

ABSTRACT

A method of playing a card game. The first step is to provide a deck of cards, wherein each playing card has a specific numeric value. A player places an Ante. The dealer then deals an initial hand of two cards face down to the dealer and to the player. The player views the initial hand of two cards in order to decide whether to stay or fold. The player forfeits his ante if the player decides to fold. Next, the player places a bet if the player decides to stay. The player then reveals his cards. The next step is to determine if the point value of the player&#39;s initial two-card hand is fourteen or fifteen. If the player&#39;s initial two-card hand has a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then the player is provided with an option to either (i) double down on the player&#39;s bet and take only one additional card, or (ii) not double down on the player&#39;s bet and take two additional cards. Thereafter, the dealer deals either the single additional card or the two additional cards face up to the player, depending upon the player&#39;s decision. If the player&#39;s initial two-card hand does not have a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then the player is required to take two additional cards. These additional two cards are dealt face up. The player&#39;s hand may never contain more than four cards. The dealer continues to deal cards to himself until the point value of the dealer&#39;s hand is greater than or equal to twenty one. The player loses if the point value of his hand exceeds twenty-five. The player wins if the player&#39;s hand has a point value of twenty-five and the dealer&#39;s hand has a point value that does not equal twenty-five, or if the point value of the player&#39;s hand is less than twenty-five and the point value of the dealer&#39;s hand is greater than twenty-five. There are other scenarios in which the player can win and there are scenarios in which the dealer can win.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.12/255,159, filed Oct. 21, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S.provisional application No. 60/981,533, filed Oct. 22, 2007. The entiredisclosures of U.S. application Ser. Nos. 12/255,159 and 60/981,533 arehereby incorporated by reference. This application also claims thebenefit of U.S. provisional application 61/318,507, filed Mar. 29, 2010.The entire disclosure of U.S. application No. 61/318,507 is herebyincorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates a method for playing a cardgame.

BACKGROUND ART

Casinos and wagering establishments are always looking for new, noveland exciting card games that entice players to play such card games andhold the players' interest. Exciting card games increase revenues tocasinos and wagering establishments. On the other hand, prospective,players are always looking for new card games that are challenging andexciting. The game of “blackjack” or “twenty-one” is perhaps the mostpopular card game played in casinos throughout the United States.Blackjack is typically played with a standard deck of playing cardscontaining fifty-two cards in four different suits. The object of thegame is for each player to collect a number of cards in his or her handwhereby the total point value assigned to the cards in a player's handis as close as possible to twenty-one without going over twenty-one.Numbered cards (i.e., 2-10) are assigned a numerical value equal totheir face value and face cards (i.e., King, Queen and Jack) areassigned a numerical value of ten points each. An Ace card may beassigned either a point value of one or eleven—whichever value gives amore favorable hand to the player. If the point value in a player's handexceeds twenty-one points, the player “busts” and is eliminated fromfurther play. Blackjack is typically played at tables that include alocation for a dealer and up to seven additional players. Each playerplaces a wager and, along with the dealer, initially receives two cards.In traditional blackjack, each player is playing against the dealer or“house”. The dealer or house acts as the bank, paying all losses andcollecting all winnings from the other players at the table. In order towin his or her wager, the cards in a player's hand must have a highertotal point value than the total point value in the dealer's handwithout going over twenty-one points. During a player's turn, a playermay elect to draw additional cards (i.e., take a “hit”) or play only thecards currently held in his or her hand (i.e. “stand”). A player maycontinue to receive additional cards in order to try to reach a pointtotal of twenty-one without exceeding twenty-one. It is not necessary toreach twenty-one points to win a game; it is only necessary to comecloser to twenty-one points than the dealer. Since the dealer receivesone of his two initial cards facedown (i.e., a “hole” card), the playersknow only half of the cards in the dealer's initial hand. This adds anelement of uncertainty to a player's decision to take a hit or stand.The risk of losing a hand by exceeding twenty-one points (i.e.,“busting”) by taking an additional card increases as the point total ofthe cards in the player's hand approaches twenty-one. A player increasesthe probability of beating the dealer's card total by selectively andstrategically hitting or standing on a particular card situation. Undermost house rules, the dealer must take a hit on any point total ofsixteen or less and must stand on any point total of seventeen or more.Any player whose hand has a point total that does not exceed twenty oneand is closer to twenty-one than the dealer, wins his or her wager.Conversely, each player who “busts” or who does not achieve a higherpoint total than the dealer loses the hand and the corresponding wagerfor that hand. Even if the dealer also busts, the player still loseswhen the player busts. A “blackjack” occurs when a player or the dealerreceives an Ace and a face card or ten. A blackjack by the dealer endsthe game, causing all other players to lose their wagers. A blackjackfor a player is the best possible hand for the player and beats thedealer unless the dealer also has a blackjack. Ties between the playerand the dealer are a “push” and are typically won by the house. Playersat a blackjack table will typically play multiple successive hands andplayers may enter and leave the game at any time between hands. Afterall of the players have taken hits or have stood on their hand, thedealer stands or hits based on pre-established rules of the game. Theconventional manner of play requires the dealer to take a hit wheneverthe dealer's hand is a “soft 17” count. However, in other casinos, thedealer stands on a soft 17 count. The term “soft” means that the Ace isvalued as a count of eleven, instead of as a count of one. A soft 17occurs when the dealer has an Ace and a six (or multiple cards that addup to six). The dealer will stand on soft 18s, soft 19s and soft 20s.Different card games are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,947,822,6,027,118, 6,131,908, 6,179,711, 6,609,711, 6,749,200, 6,877,748, and7,222,854, Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0124585 and GreatBritain Patent No. 2216322.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of the present invention to provide a card game that issimilar to blackjack but which generates additional unpredictability,excitement, and revenue for both players and casinos.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentin view of the ensuing description.

As used herein, the term “point value”, when used relative to a “hand ofcards”, refers to the total numeric value of the hand of cards. Thetotal numeric value of the hand of cards is found by totaling the pointvalues of the individual cards in the hand.

In accordance with one embodiment of the card game of the presentinvention, the object of the game is for each player to collect a numberof cards in his or her hand whereby the total point value assigned tothe cards in a player's hand is as close as possible to a predeterminednumber, other than twenty-one, without going over that predeterminednumber. In accordance with the invention, the predetermined number istwenty-five (25).

First Embodiment

The game is played with a suitable gaming or card table. The playersstand or sit at respective player locations spaced about the peripheryof the gaming or card table. The first step of the game is to provide aplurality of decks of playing cards wherein each playing card has aspecific numeric value. In a preferred embodiment, the game is playedwith between five and nine decks of cards. More preferably, the game isplayed with between six and eight decks of cards. Each player places anAnte. The minimum and maximum amount of the Ante is determined by thehouse. The maximum number of cards a player can have is four cards. Thedealer deals an initial hand of two cards face down to himself and toeach player. The player then views his cards and then decides whether tostay or fold. If the player decides to stay, he must place a bet inorder to receive additional cards. The player then shows his or hercards. Next, it is determined if the point value of the player's hand isfifteen. If the player's hand has a point value of fifteen, then theplayer is provided with an opportunity to double down on the player'sbet and take only one additional card. The additional card is dealt faceup. In this case, the player will complete the game with only threecards. If the player chooses not to double down on his bet, he must taketwo additional cards. These additional cards are dealt face up. If theplayer's hand does not have a point value of fifteen, then the playermust take two additional cards. The dealer deals these two additionalcards face up. If the player's hand has point value that exceedstwenty-five (25), the player “busts” and is out. The dealer is permittedto have more than four cards. The dealer must stand on twenty-one (21).This means that the dealer must continue to deal himself additionalcards until the point value of the dealer's hand is either 21 or greaterthan 21. If the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than 25, thedealer busts and is out. If the player's hand has a point value of 25and the dealer's hand does not have a point value of 25, the player winsand his winnings are determined by a predetermined pay-table set by thehouse. If the dealer's hand has a point value that is 21 and theplayer's hand has a point value that is greater than 21 but less than orequal to 25, the player wins and his winnings are determined by apredetermined pay-table set by the house. If both the player's hand andthe dealer's hand have a point value that is equal to 25 and the playerhas fewer cards than the dealer, then the player wins. If the both theplayer's hand and the dealer's hand have a point value that is equal to25 and the dealer has fewer cards than the player, then the dealer wins.A tie or push would occur if both the player's and dealer's hands havethe same number of cards and the same point value and this point valueis less than or equal to 25. In one embodiment, in the event of a tie orpush, the dealer returns the player's initial ante and subsequent bet.In an alternate embodiment, in the event of a tie or a push, the playerloses his ante and subsequent bet. If the dealer's hand has a pointvalue of 25 and the point value of the player's hand is less than orgreater than 25, the player loses and the dealer wins. If the dealerholds on 21, but the point value of the player's hand has a point valuethat is less than 21, the player loses and the dealer wins. If the pointvalue of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is less thantwenty five (25), then whoever has the hand with a point value closestto twenty five (25) will win. If the player should win, the winningspaid to the player are based on the predetermined pay-table or payoutschedule set by the house (e.g. casino).

Second Embodiment

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, themethod of playing a card game comprises the steps of providing a singledeck of cards, wherein each playing card has a specific numeric value,placing an Ante by at least one player, and dealing an initial hand oftwo cards face down to a dealer and to each player. Next, the playerviews the initial hand of two cards in order to decide whether to stayor fold. The player loses his or her Ante if the player decides to fold.The player places a bet if the player decides to stay. In a preferredembodiment, the bet is greater than or equal to the Ante. The playerthen shows his or her cards. Next, it is determined if the point valueof the player's initial two-card hand is fourteen or fifteen. If theplayer's hand has a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then the playeris provided with an opportunity to double down on the player's bet andtake only one additional card. The additional card is dealt face up. Inthis case, the player will complete the game with only three cards. Ifthe player chooses not to double down on his bet, he must take twoadditional cards. These additional cards are dealt face up. If theplayer's initial two-card hand does not have a point value of fourteenor fifteen, then the player must take two additional cards. The dealerdeals these two additional cards face up. The player's hand may nevercontain more than four cards. The dealer continues to deal cards tohimself until the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than orequal to twenty one. Thus, the dealer must stand on twenty-one. Next,the point value of the player's hand is determined. The player loses ifthe point value of his hand exceeds twenty-five. The player is declaredthe winner if (i) the player's hand has a point value of twenty-five andthe dealer's hand has a point value that does not equal twenty-five, or(ii) if the point value of the player's hand is less than twenty-fiveand the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than twenty-five, or(iii) if the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-one and pointvalue of the player's hand is greater than twenty-one and less thantwenty-five, or (iv) if the point value of both the player's hand andthe dealer's hand is twenty-five and the player's hand contains fewercards then the dealer's hand, or (v) if the point value of both theplayer's hand and the dealer's hand is less than twenty-five but thepoint value of the player's hand is closer to twenty-five. The dealer isdeclared the winner if (i) the point value of both the dealer's hand andthe player's hand is less than twenty-five but the point value of thedealer's hand is closer to twenty-five, or (ii) the dealer's hand has apoint value of twenty-five and the player's hand has a point value thatis less than or greater than twenty-five, or (iii) the point value ofthe player's hand is twenty-five and the point value of the dealer'shand is twenty-five and the dealer's hand contains fewer cards than theplayer's hand. A tie or push is declared if both the player's hand anddealer's hand have the same point value and this point value is lessthan or equal to twenty-five and both the player's hand and dealer'shand have the same number of cards.

The card game of the present invention can be played: (i) in a casino orother wagering establishment in a manner similar to conventional cardgames, i.e. “live table version” wherein a group of players and a dealerare positioned at a gaming table, (ii) on electronic gaming machines(e.g. such as electronic video gaming machines) which may be located ina casino or other wagering establishment, or (iii) on linked, electronicvideo gaming machines located in a casino or wagering establishment. Thecard game of the present invention also can be implemented on slotmachines. Furthermore, the card game of the present invention can beimplemented with lottery scratch-type tickets that are sold by manystate governments.

Third Embodiment

In a further embodiment, the present invention is directed to a methodfor playing a card game on an electronic gaming machine. The first stepcomprises providing an electronic gaming machine. The electronic machinecomprises a display screen, an activation device for allowing a playerto activate various actions during play of the card game, a wager inputdevice for inputting a player's Ante or bet, and a computer for storingtherein an electronic signal representation of each card of a standarddeck of cards and for analyzing displayed hands of cards. Next, at leastone deck of playing cards is displayed on the display screen. Eachplaying card has a specific numeric value. Next, the player inputs anAnte into wager input device. The method for playing a card game furthercomprises the steps of displaying on the display screen a deal of aninitial hand of two cards face down to the dealer and to the player toform the dealer's initial hand and the player's initial hand, anddisplaying in the display screen the player's initial hand of two cardsso as to allow the player to decide whether to stay or fold. The playerforfeits his or her Ante if the player decides to fold. The playerinputs a bet into the wager input device if the player decides to stay.Next, the display screen displays the player's cards. The computer thenanalyzes the player's hand to determine if the point value of theplayer's initial two-card hand is fourteen or fifteen. If the player'shand has a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then the player isprovided with the opportunity to double down on the player's bet andtake one additional card. The additional card is dealt face up to theplayer. The display screen displays the deal of this additional card tothe player. The player may double down only if the point value of theplayer's hand is fourteen or fifteen. If the player chooses to doubledown, he will have only three cards for the remainder of the game. Ifthe player chooses not to double down, then the player must take twoadditional cards. The display screen displays the deal of theseadditional two cards face up. If the point value of the player's initialtwo-card hand does not equal fourteen or fifteen, the player must taketwo additional cards. The display screen displays the deal of these twoadditional cards face up. All of the player's cards are now displayed onthe display screen. The player's hand cannot have more than a total offour cards. The method of playing a card game further comprises thesteps of displaying on the display screen cards being continually dealtto the dealer until the point value of the dealer's hand is equal totwenty-one or greater than twenty-one and analyzing the player's hand todetermine the point value of the player's hand. The player loses if thepoint value of his or her hand exceeds twenty-five. The player isdeclared the winner if: (i) the player's hand has a point value oftwenty-five and the dealer's hand has a point value that does not equaltwenty-five, or (ii) if the point value of the player's hand is lessthan twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is greaterthan twenty-five, or (iii) if the point value of the dealer's hand istwenty-one and the point value of the player's hand is greater thantwenty-one and less than twenty-five, or (iv) if the point value of boththe player's hand and the dealer's hand is twenty-five and the player'shand contains fewer cards than the dealer's hand, or (v) if the pointvalue of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is less thantwenty-five but the point value of the player's hand is closer totwenty-five. Winnings are awarded to the player if the player isdeclared the winner. The dealer is declared the winner if: (i) the pointvalue of both the dealer's hand and the player's hand is less thantwenty-five but the point value of the dealer's hand is closer totwenty-five, or (ii) the dealer's hand has a point value of twenty-fiveand the player's hand has a point value that is less than or greaterthan twenty-five, or (iii) the point value of the player's hand istwenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-five andthe dealer's hand contains fewer cards than the player's hand. A tie orpush is declared if both the player's hand and dealer's hand have thesame point value and this point value is less than or equal totwenty-five, and both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the samenumber of cards. In one embodiment, the activation device, which allowsthe player to activate various actions, comprises a button panel thathas buttons that the player may press. In another embodiment, theactivation device comprises a touch screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the scope of the present invention is much broader than anyparticular embodiment, a detailed description of the preferredembodiments follows together with illustrative figures, wherein likereference numerals refer to like components, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a gaming table of the type that may be used tofacilitate a live embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an electronic gaming machine on which the cardgame of the present invention may be played; and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the interconnection of the main componentsof the electronic gaming machine of FIG. 2.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The card game of the present invention can be played with up to sixplayers plus the dealer. A single player also may play the card game. Inthe live embodiment of the card game of the present invention, a gamingtable is used by a dealer and at least one player. The players sit at orstand adjacent to a respective portion of a gaming or card tabledesignated as a player station. The dealer usually represents the houseor the casino in the play of the game and stands or sits adjacent to adealer station. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of agaming table suitable for playing the card game of the presentinvention. Table 10 has dealer station 11, a plurality of card receivingareas 12 for the players and the dealer, and “Ante” areas 14 for eachplayer to place his Ante. Table 10 includes “bet” areas 16 for theplayers to place bets that are subsequent to the Ante. Table 10 alsoincludes extra or spare wagering areas 18. In one embodiment, a payoutschedule (or pay-table) corresponding to the card game of the presentinvention is printed on gaming table 10.

In the live embodiment of the card game of the present invention, all ofthe sets (i.e. decks) of cards are contained in a shoe, known in theart, from which the dealer may draw one card at a time. In anotherembodiment, all of the cards are contained in an automatic cardshuffler. In a preferred embodiment, the game is played with betweenfive and nine decks of cards. More preferably, the game is played withbetween six and eight decks of cards. As used herein, the term “Ante”means the initial amount of money put up the player in order to receivean initial hand of two cards. The terms “wager” and “bet” have the samemeaning and refer to additional amounts of money put up by the playersubsequent to the initial Ante.

The card game of the present invention can be implemented on anelectronic gaming machine such as the type used to realize an electronicvideo gaming machine. In such electronic gaming machines, images ofplaying cards are electronically generated and then displayed on adisplay screen. If the card game of the present invention is implementedon an electronic gaming machine, the electronic gaming machine ispreferably configured to generate a single deck of 52 cards.

Additionally, the card game of the present invention can be realizedwith a lottery scratch ticket wherein images of playing cards arecovered by a substance that is removed by players with a coin or othersuitable object. U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,107 shows a typical structure ofsuch lottery scratch-type tickets. The entire disclosure of U.S. Pat.No. 6,572,107 is hereby incorporated by reference.

Thus, the terms “cards”, “playing cards” or “hand” are defined herein toinclude:

a) physical playing cards,

b) computer-generated images of playing cards on an electronic gamingmachine,

c) graphically generated images of playing cards on an electronic gamingmachine, and

d) images of playing cards formed on lottery scratch-type tickets.

As used herein, the terms “numeric value” or “value” refer to thenumeric value assigned to each playing card. In accordance with thepresent invention, number cards (e.g. 2, 3, 8, etc.) are assigned anumeric value that is the same as the face value of the card. Forexample, the “eight” card shall have a numeric value of eight. Pictureor face cards such as Jack, Queen and King shall each have a numericvalue of ten. The Ace may have a numeric value of either one or eleven.

As used herein, the phrase “total point value” or “point value” shallrefer to the total of the numeric values of all of the cards in a hand.For example, a hand of “Five, Eight, Nine, Queen” shall have a pointvalue (or total point value) of thirty-two. In another example, a handconsisting of “2, 6, 7, 10” shall have a point value (or total pointvalue) of twenty-five (25).

In accordance with the invention, a player wins when the player obtainsa hand of cards having a total point value that is close as possible toa predetermined number, other than twenty-one, without going over thatpredetermined number. In accordance with the invention, thepredetermined number is twenty-five (25).

First Embodiment

In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, the first step ofthe game is to provide a plurality of decks of cards. Next, the player,or each player, places his Ante. The minimum and maximum amount of theAnte is determined by the house. Next, the dealer deals an initialtwo-card hand. Preferably, the dealer deals the initial two-card hand ina left-to-right motion starting from the dealer's left. The cards aredealt face down. The dealer also deals himself an initial two-card hand.The player then views his cards and then decides whether to stay orfold. If the player decides to stay, he must place a bet to receiveadditional cards. Next, it is determined if the point value of theplayer's initial two-card hand is fifteen. If the player's hand has apoint value of fifteen, then the player is provided with an opportunityto double down on the player's bet and take only one additional card.The additional card is dealt face up. In this case, the player willcomplete the game with only three cards. If the player chooses not todouble down on his bet, he must take two additional cards. Theseadditional cards are dealt face up. If the player's initial two-cardhand does not have a point value of fifteen, then the player must taketwo additional cards in order to achieve a four-card hand. The dealerdeals these two additional cards face up. The player now reveals all ofhis cards. The maximum number of cards a player may have is four cards.Therefore, the dealer cannot deal more than four cards to any oneplayer. However, the dealer may deal himself more than four cards. Ifthe player's cards have a total point value that exceeds 25, the player“busts” and is out. The dealer must stand on 21. This means that thedealer must continue to deal himself additional cards until the pointvalue of the dealer's hand is either 21 or greater than 21. If the pointvalue of the dealer's hand is greater than 25, the dealer busts and isout. If the player's hand has a point value of 25 and the dealer's handdoes not have a point value of 25, the player wins. If the dealer's handhas a point value of 21 and the player's hand has a point value that isgreater than 21 but less than or equal to 25, the player wins. If boththe player's hand and the dealer's hand have a point value that is equalto 25 and the player's hand has fewer cards than the dealer's hand, thenthe player wins. If both the player's hand and the dealer's hand have apoint value that is equal to 25 and the dealer's hand has fewer cardsthan the player's hand, then the dealer wins. If the dealer's hand has apoint value of 25 and the point value of the player's hand is less thanor greater than 25, the player loses and the dealer wins. If the dealerholds on 21, but the point value of the player's hand has a point valuethat is less than 21, the player loses and the dealer wins. If the pointvalue of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is less thantwenty five (25), then whoever has the hand with a point value closestto twenty five (25) will win. A tie or push occurs when the player'shand and dealer's hand both have the same point value and this pointvalue is less than or equal to 25, and both dealer and player have thesame number of cards. In one embodiment, in the event of a tie or apush, the dealer returns the player's initial Ante and subsequent bet tothe player. In an alternate embodiment, in the event of a tie or a push,the player loses his Ante and subsequent bet. Any time the player wins,his winnings are determined by the amount of the Ante, the amount of thesecond bet, whether the player chose to double-down on his bet and thepredetermined pay-schedule (or pay-table) set by the house or casino.

The following examples illustrate the scenarios described above. Inthese examples, “J” represents a Jack, “Q” represents a Queen and “K”represents King. The suite of each card is not shown since it is thenumeric value of the card that is of interest. An ACE may have a numericvalue of either one or eleven.

Example 1

Dealer's Hand: Four Cards (4, 8, 8, ACE) Point Value: 21 Player: FourCards (3, 5, 7, 7) Point Value: 22 Winner: Player

Example 2

Dealer's Hand: Five (2, 4, 4, 7, 8) Point Value: 25 Player: Four Cards(3, 4, 7, 9) Point Value: 23 Winner: Dealer

Example 3

Dealer's Hand: Four Cards (3, 6, 7, 8) Point Value: 24 Player: FourCards (2, 4, 9, J) Point Value: 25 Winner: Player

Example 4

Dealer's Hand: Three Cards (7, 7, ACE) Point Value: 25 Player: FourCards (2, 4, 9, J) Point Value: 25 Winner: Dealer

Example 5

Dealer's Hand: Three Cards (6, 7, 8) Point Value: 21 Player: Four Cards(2, 4, J, Q) Point Value: 26 Winner: Dealer

Example 6

Dealer's Hand: Four Cards (2, 6, 7, 8) Point Value: 23 Player: FourCards (2, 4, 7, 8) Point Value: 21 Winner: Dealer

Example 7

Dealer's Hand: Four Cards (3, 4, 6, K) Point Value: 23 Player: FourCards (2, 2, 9, Q) Point Value: 23 Winner: Tie or Push

Example 8

Dealer's Hand: Four Cards (3, 5, 7, K) Point Value: 25 Player: FourCards (2, 6, 8, 9) Point Value: 25 Winner: Tie or Push

Example 9

Dealer's Hand: Three Cards (10, 10, K) Point Value: 30 Player: FourCards (2, 6, 7, 8) Point Value: 23 Winner: Player

Example 10

Dealer's Hand: Three Cards (10, 10, K) Point Value: 30 Player: FourCards (2, 8, 9, 10) Point Value: 29 Winner: No winner, player loses allbets.

The card game of the present invention can be played: (i) in a casino orother wagering establishment in a manner similar to conventional cardgames, i.e. “live table version” wherein a group of players and a dealerare positioned at a gaming table, (ii) on electronic video gamingmachines that may be located in a casino or other wageringestablishment, or (iii) on linked, electronic video gaming machineslocated in a casino or wagering establishment. The card game of thepresent invention also can be implemented on slot machines. Furthermore,the card game of the present invention can be implemented with lotteryscratch-type tickets that are sold by many state governments.

Although in the foregoing description, the predetermined number is 25,it is to be understood that the predetermined number can be anothernumber, other than 21 or 25. For predetermined numbers higher than 40,the game of the present invention may be modified to increase themaximum number of cards that can be in a player's hand or dealer's hand.

Second Embodiment

In a second embodiment, the present invention is directed to a card gamewhich uses one deck of cards and is played with up to four players plusthe dealer. The deck of cards may be contained within a shoe orautomatic card shuffler. As with the previous embodiment, the playerssit at or stand adjacent to a respective portion of a gaming or cardtable designated as a player station. As described in the foregoingdescription, the gaming or card table comprises a table layout having adealer location with a card area associated therewith and at least oneplayer location with a card area, first betting area and second bettingarea associated therewith. Gaming table 10 may be used to play the cardgame of this second embodiment of the invention. The number cards (e.g.2, 3, 8, etc.) are assigned a numeric value that is the same as the facevalue of the card. For example, the “eight” card shall have a numericvalue of eight. Picture or face cards such as Jack, Queen and King shalleach have a numeric value of ten. The Ace may have a numeric value ofeither one or eleven. The first step of the card game is to provide asingle deck of cards. The method of playing cards further includes thesteps of placing an Ante by at least one player, and dealing an initialhand of two cards face down to a dealer and the player. The player viewsthe initial hand of two cards in order to decide whether to stay orfold. The player loses his Ante if the player decides to fold. Theplayer places a bet if he decides to stay. The bet is greater than orequal to the Ante. The player then shows his cards. The next step is todetermine if the point value of the player's initial two-card hand isfourteen or fifteen. If the player's initial two-card hand has a pointvalue of fourteen or fifteen, then the player is provided with theoption of either (i) doubling down on the player's bet and taking onlyone additional card, or (ii) not doubling down on the player's bet andtaking two additional cards. The additional card or cards are dealt faceup to the player. If the player chooses to double-down, he will continuethe game to the end with three cards. If the player's initial two-cardhand does not have a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then the playermust take two additional cards. These two additional cards are dealtface up to the player. The player's hand may never contain more thanfour cards. Therefore, the dealer cannot deal more than four cards toany one player. However, the dealer may deal himself more than fourcards. The dealer continues to deal cards to himself until the pointvalue of the dealer's hand is greater than or equal to twenty one. Thenext step is determining the point value of the player's hand. Theplayer loses if the point value of his hand exceeds twenty-five. Theplayer is declared the winner if: (i) the player's hand has a pointvalue of twenty-five and the dealer's hand has a point value that doesnot equal twenty-five, or (ii) if the point value of the player's handis less than twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand isgreater than twenty-five, or (iii) if the point value of the dealer'shand is twenty-one and the point value of the player's hand is greaterthan twenty-one and less than twenty-five, or (iv) if the point value ofboth the player's hand and the dealer's hand is twenty-five and theplayer's hand contains fewer cards then the dealer's hand, or (v) if thepoint value of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is less thantwenty-five but the point value of the player's hand is closer totwenty-five. Any time the player wins, his winnings are determined bythe amount of the Ante, the amount of the second bet, whether the playerchose to double-down on his bet and the predetermined pay-schedule (orpay-table) set by the house. The dealer is declared the winner if thepoint value of both the dealer's hand and the player's hand is less thantwenty-five but the point value of the dealer's hand is closer totwenty-five. The dealer is also declared the winner if the dealer's handhas a point value of twenty-five and the player's hand has a point valuethat is less than or greater than twenty-five. The dealer is declaredthe winner if the point value of the player's hand is twenty-five andthe point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-five and the dealer'shand contains fewer cards than the player's hand. A tie or push isdeclared if both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the same pointvalue and this point value is less than or equal to twenty-five and boththe player's hand and dealer's hand have the same number of cards.

It is to be understood that the card game of the present invention canbe played: (i) in a casino or other wagering establishment in a mannersimilar to conventional card games, i.e. “live table version” wherein agroup of players and a dealer are positioned at a gaming table (e.g.gaming table 10), (ii) on electronic video gaming machines which may belocated in a casino other wagering establishment, or (iii) on linked,electronic video gaming machines located in a casino or wageringestablishment. Electronic video gaming machines are generally describedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,873, 6,478,675, 6,517,074 and 7,694,970, thedisclosures of which patents are hereby incorporated by reference.

Third Embodiment

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown a diagram of an electronicgaming machine on which the card game of the present invention may beplayed. Electronic gaming machine 100 comprises console 102 which has anupper section 104, middle section 105 and lower section 106. Electronicgaming machine 100 further comprises display screen 108, computer 110and activation panel 112. Computer 110 is in electronic data signalcommunication with display screen 108 and activation panel 112. Displayscreen 108 may be configured as a video screen display or an LCD (LiquidCrystal Display). Display screen 108 is mounted on upper section 104 ofconsole 102. Display screen 108 displays the playing cards that will beused during the play of the card game. Thus, display screen 108 displaysthe player's hand of cards 200 and also displays the dealer's hand ofcards 202. Display screen 108 also displays other information and datato the player to allow the player to understand the play of the game andthe progress of the game. In a preferred embodiment, display screen 108displays credit meter 114. Display screen 108 displays the amount of theAnte, and the amount of the second bet and whether the player hasdoubled down on his bet. Display screen 108 includes touch screenlocations to allow the player to show his cards and request a singleadditional card or two additional cards. Display screen 108 alsodisplays information related to the winner of the game (e.g. dealer orplayer) and the amount of any winnings to be awarded to the player.Display screen 108 also includes touch screen locations to allow theplayer to stay or fold, and to select the value of an ACE if the playershould receive an ACE. The player may select a value of one or elevenfor the ACE. In one embodiment, activation panel 112 comprises a buttonpanel which includes typical buttons that the player may press toactivate various actions during play of the card game. A “CASH OUT”button 120 is provided to allow the player to collect any credits thatthe player has accrued on credit meter 114. An “ANTE” button 122 allowsthe player to place the initial Ante and start the game. “BET ONE”button 124 and “BET MAX” button 126 pertain to the bets made after theANTE and are provided to allow the player to bet either the minimum ofone credit or bet the maximum amount of credits. Activation panel 112includes “STAY” button 128 and “FOLD” button 130. Activation panel 112also includes “DOUBLE-DOWN” button 132 which allows the player todouble-down on his bet. Activation panel 112 also includes a “NODOUBLE-DOWN” button 134 which allows a player to choose not to doubledown on his bet. The player may optionally use buttons 120, 122, 124,126, 128, 130, 132 and 134 instead of the touch screen locations ondisplay screen 108. In an alternate embodiment, activation panel 112 isconfigured as a touch screen. Electronic gaming machine 100 furthercomprises wager input device 140 that comprises two portions. The firstportion is coin slot 142 which allows the player to insert coins ortokens. The second portion of wager input device 140 is device 144 whichis configured to accept bills, vouchers, coupons, or other suitablescript. Wager input device 140 includes electronic circuitry, well knownin the art, which generates electronic data signals representing theamount and type of wager. These electronic data signals are inputtedinto computer 110. Computer 110 comprises a processor 150 and sufficientmemory such as read-only-memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM).Electronic data representing each card in a deck of playing cards isstored in the memory of computer 110. Computer 110 also comprises otherelectronic circuits such as cache memory, signal processing circuits anddriver circuitry which are known in the art. Computer 110 isprogrammable and can be programmed with a predetermined pay-out table orpay schedule. Computer 110 implements many functions such as randomlyshuffling a deck (or decks) of cards and analyzing the hands of cardsheld by the dealer and the player, and determining or calculating thepoint value of the hand of cards held by the dealer or player. Thus,computer 110 is also programmed with the rules of the card game.

As with the previous embodiments, the number cards (e.g. 2, 3, 8, etc.)are assigned a numeric value that is the same as the face value of thecard. For example, the “eight” card shall have a numeric value of eight.Picture or face cards such as Jack, Queen and King shall each have anumeric value of ten. The Ace may have a numeric value of either one oreleven. The player's hand may never contain more than four cards. Thedealer's hand may have more than four cards. Thus, the method of playinga card game in accordance with this embodiment comprises the followingsteps:

-   -   a) providing electronic gaming machine 100;    -   b) displaying a deck of playing cards on display screen 108;    -   c) the player using wager input device 140 to place an initial        Ante;    -   d) displaying on display screen 108 a deal of an initial hand of        two cards face down to the dealer and to the player to form the        dealer's initial hand and the player's initial hand;    -   e) displaying on display screen 108 the player's initial hand of        two cards so as to allow the player to decide whether to stay or        fold;    -   f) the player using activation panel 112 to stay or fold,        wherein the player forfeits his Ante if the player decides to        fold;    -   g) if the player decides to stay, then the player using wager        input device 140 to input a bet;    -   h) using computer 110 to analyze the player's hand to determine        if the point value of the player's initial two-card hand is        fourteen or fifteen;    -   i) if the player's initial two-card hand has a point value of        fourteen or fifteen, then providing the player with an option to        either (i) double down on the player's bet and take only one        additional card, or (ii) not double down on the player's bet and        take two additional cards, wherein all additional cards are        dealt face up to the player;    -   j) displaying on the display screen 108 the additional card or        cards dealt to the player;    -   k) if the player's hand does not have a point value of fourteen        or fifteen, then the player is required to take two additional        cards, wherein the additional cards are dealt face up and are        displayed on display screen 108;    -   l) displaying, on display screen 108, cards being continually        dealt to the dealer until the point value of the dealer's hand        is equal to twenty one or greater than 21;    -   m) using computer 110 to analyze the player's hand to determine        the point value of the player's hand, wherein the player loses        if the point value of his hand exceeds twenty-five;    -   n) declaring the player the winner if: (i) the player's hand has        a point value of twenty-five and the dealer's hand has a point        value that does not equal twenty-five, or (ii) if the point        value of the player's hand is less than twenty-five and the        point value of the dealer's hand is greater than twenty-five,        or (iii) if the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-one        and the point value of the player's hand is greater than        twenty-one and less than twenty-five, or (iv) if the point value        of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is twenty-five        and the player's hand contains fewer cards than the dealer's        hand, or (v) if the point value of both the player's hand and        the dealer's hand is less than twenty-five but the point value        of the player's hand is closer to twenty-five;    -   o) awarding winnings to the player if the player is declared the        winner and displaying on display screen 108 the amount of the        winnings;    -   p) declaring the dealer the winner if: (i) the point value of        both the dealer's hand and the player's hand is less than        twenty-five but the point value of the dealer's hand is closer        to twenty-five, or (ii) the dealer's hand has a point value of        twenty-five and the player's hand has a point value that is less        than or greater than twenty-five, or (iii) the point value of        the player's hand is twenty-five and the point value of the        dealer's hand is twenty-five and the dealer's hand contains        fewer cards than the player's hand; and    -   q) declaring a tie or push if both the player's hand and        dealer's hand have the same point value and this point value is        less than or equal to twenty-five, and both the player's hand        and dealer's hand have the same number of cards.

As with the other embodiments, if the point value of the player's handis either fourteen or fifteen and the player chooses to double-down, hereceives only one additional card and will continue the game with onlythree cards. This means he will never have more than three cards.

Any time the player wins, his winnings are determined by the amount ofthe Ante, the amount of the second bet, whether the player chose todouble-down on his bet and the predetermined pay-schedule set by thehouse.

The card game of the present invention also can be implemented on slotmachines, and lottery scratch tickets. Lottery scratch tickets are knownin the art and are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.US2006/0043670, published Mar. 2, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,429,044. Thedisclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 7,429,044 is hereby incorporated byreference.

The principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of thepresent invention have been described in the foregoing specification.The invention which is intended to be protected herein should not,however, be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed, asthese are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.Variations in changes may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoingdetailed description should be considered exemplary in nature and notlimited to the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in theattached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of playing a card game on top of a tablelayout having a dealer location with a card area associated therewithand at least one player location with a first betting area, a secondbetting area and a card area associated therewith, said methodcomprising the steps of: providing a deck of cards, wherein each playingcard has a specific numeric value; placing an ante in the first bettingarea by at least one player; dealing an initial hand of two cards facedown to a dealer and to the player on top of the corresponding cardareas; viewing the initial hand of two cards by the player in order todecide whether to stay or fold, wherein the player forfeits his ante ifthe player decides to fold; placing a bet on the second betting area bythe player if the player decides to stay; the player showing his or hercards; determining if the point value of the player's initial two-cardhand is fourteen or fifteen; if the player's initial two-card hand has apoint value of fourteen or fifteen, then providing the player with anoption to either (i) double down on the player's bet and take only oneadditional card, or (ii) not double down on the player's bet and taketwo additional cards; thereafter, dealing either the single additionalcard or the two additional cards face up to the player, depending uponthe player's decision; if the player's initial two-card hand does nothave a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then requiring the player totake two additional cards and dealing the two additional cards to theplayer face up; the dealer continuing to deal cards to himself on top ofthe dealer card area until the point value of the dealer's hand is equalto twenty one or greater than 21; determining the point value of theplayer's hand, wherein the player loses if the point value of theplayer's hand exceeds twenty-five; declaring the player the winner if(i) the player's hand has a point value of twenty-five and the dealer'shand has a point value that does not equal twenty-five, or (ii) if thepoint value of the player's hand is less than twenty-five and the pointvalue of the dealer's hand is greater than twenty-five, or (iii) if thepoint value of the dealer's hand is twenty-one and point value of theplayer's hand is greater than twenty-one and less than twenty-five, or(iv) if the point value of both the player's hand and the dealer's handis twenty-five and the player's hand contains fewer cards then thedealer's hand, or (v) if the point value of both the player's hand andthe dealer's hand is less than twenty-five but the point value of theplayer's hand is closer to twenty-five; and awarding winnings to theplayer if the player is declared the winner.
 2. The method according toclaim 1 further comprising the step of declaring the dealer the winnerif (i) the point value of both the dealer's hand and the player's handis less than twenty-five but the point value of the dealer's hand iscloser to twenty-five, or (ii) the dealer's hand has a point value oftwenty-five and the player's hand has a point value that is less than orgreater than twenty-five, or (iii) the point value of the player's handis twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-fiveand the dealer's hand contains fewer cards than the player's hand. 3.The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of declaringa tie or push if both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the samepoint value and this point value is less than or equal to twenty-five,and both the player's hand and dealer's hand have the same number ofcards.
 4. A method of playing a card game on an electronic gamingmachine comprising the steps of: providing an electronic gaming machinecomprising a display screen, activation panel, wager input device and acomputer, wherein the computer is in electronic signal communicationwith the display screen, activation panel and wager input device, thecomputer comprising a processor programmed to execute steps of the cardgame and analyze the hands of cards to determine the point value of thehands of cards; displaying a pre-shuffled deck of cards on the displayscreen, wherein each playing card has a specific numeric value; theplayer using the wager input device to place an initial ante; displayingon the display screen a deal of an initial hand of two cards face downto the dealer and to the player to form a dealer's initial hand and aplayer's initial hand; displaying on the display screen the player'sinitial hand of two cards so as to allow the player to decide whether tostay or fold; the player using the activation panel to stay or fold,wherein the player forfeits his ante if the player decides to fold; theplayer using the wager input device to place a bet if the player decidesto stay; using the computer to analyze the player's hand to determine ifthe point value of the player's hand is fourteen or fifteen; if theplayer's initial two-card hand has a point value of fourteen or fifteen,then providing the player with an option to either (i) double down onthe player's bet and take only one additional card, or (ii) not doubledown on the player's bet and take two additional cards; thereafter,displaying on the display screen a deal of either the single additionalcard face up or the two additional cards face up to the player,depending upon the player's decision; if the player's initial two-cardhand does not have a point value of fourteen or fifteen, then requiringthe player to take two additional cards and displaying on the displayscreen a deal of the two additional cards face up to the player, whereinthe player cannot have more than a total of four cards in his hand;displaying, on the display screen, cards being continually dealt to thedealer until the point value of the dealer's hand is greater than orequal to twenty one; using the computer to analyze the player's hand todetermine the point value of the player's hand, wherein the player losesif the point value of his or her hand exceeds twenty-five; declaring theplayer the winner if: (i) the player's hand has a point value oftwenty-five and the dealer's hand has a point value that does not equaltwenty-five, or (ii) if the point value of the player's hand is lessthan twenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is greaterthan twenty-five, or (iii) if the point value of the dealer's hand istwenty-one and the point value of the player's hand is greater thantwenty-one and less than twenty-five, or (iv) if the point value of boththe player's hand and the dealer's hand is twenty-five and the player'shand contains fewer cards than the dealer's hand, or (v) if the pointvalue of both the player's hand and the dealer's hand is less thantwenty-five but the point value of the player's hand is closer totwenty-five; and awarding winnings to the player if the player isdeclared the winner.
 5. The method of playing a card game according toclaim 4 further comprising the step of displaying on display screen theamount of the winnings awarded to the player if the player is declaredto the winner.
 6. The method of playing a card game according to claim 4further comprising the step of declaring the dealer the winner if: (i)the point value of both the dealer's hand and the player's hand is lessthan twenty-five but the point value of the dealer's hand is closer totwenty-five, or (ii) the dealer's hand has a point value of twenty-fiveand the player's hand has a point value that is less than or greaterthan twenty-five, or (iii) the point value of the player's hand istwenty-five and the point value of the dealer's hand is twenty-five andthe dealer's hand contains fewer cards than the player's hand.
 7. Themethod of playing a card game according to claim 4 further comprisingthe step of declaring a tie or push if both the player's hand anddealer's hand have the same point value and this point value is lessthan or equal to twenty-five, and both the player's hand and dealer'shand have the same number of cards.